If you spend a lot of money each year on high-end beauty products, and hours searching for the “latest” purchase to solve your skin woes, keep in mind that there is more to beautiful, glowing skin than just slathering it with products. Indeed, your skin can be affected just as much by what you put in your body, as what you put on it.

That’s where natural strategies for healthy and younger-looking skin come in handy. From absorbing the right nutrients and getting enough sleep, to staying out of the sun and keeping hydrated, there are plenty of cost-effective and simple things you can be doing to look your best without spending a fortune. Read on for tips you can try today.

Nutrients

Firstly, if you want to have beautiful, clear skin, you need to ensure that you are absorbing plenty of nutrients. You can get them by eating a varied diet with lots of fruits and vegetables, but also through what you drink. Tea, in particular, is great for the skin, particularly if you consume a variety of blends.

Zen Cleanse Organic Tea, for example, features things like dandelion root, hibiscus, cranberry, burdock root, spearmint, ginger, and milk thistle. These ingredients make the tea an excellent source of antioxidants. Antioxidants are beneficial in reducing the risk of sun damage and skin cancer, which in turns means that you have a reduced risk of getting wrinkles, spots, and pigmentation.

The antioxidants found in tea can also work to protect your skin from UV radiation. This then prevents cell damage, and helps your skin to look younger and stay clear for longer. It will also have better density and elasticity, as well as suffer less from inflammation and redness (which tends to be associated with the build-up of free radicals in the body with age).

Many teas, like damiana leaf and calendula, as well as juices and smoothies, are also chock full of Vitamins C, A, and E, which skin loves. Vitamin C promotes healthy and resilient skin, and also boosts the production of collagen, which drops as people age and are faced with UV light exposure and air pollutants. If your body doesn’t get enough Vitamin C, you are more likely to end up with wrinkles because of the loss of collagen. Vitamin C also helps to ward off age spots and skin discoloration.

Vitamin A is important when it comes to the maintenance and repair of skin, as well as providing relief for potential skin issues like acne, dry or flaky skin, psoriasis, and related ailments. Vitamin A also helps to heal scrapes, scratches, wounds and other damage to the skin. Vitamin E happens to be another great antioxidant which helps the body to fight free radicals and stop skin from aging prematurely. It is also even believed to be effective at preventing certain types of skin cancers.

Sleep

Something else you can do to help your skin look and feel its best is to make sure you get enough sleep every night. The term “beauty sleep” is in fact a relevant one, since hitting the hay early enough can have a big impact on the health of your skin. The body’s cellular renewal processes work during the night, when the body is asleep. As well, not getting enough snooze time lowers your circulation, which leads to pale and washed-out looking skin.

Avoid Extreme Sun Exposure

We have all heard over and over again that too much exposure to the sun can cause damage to the skin, but this is something that often gets ignored. However, if you really want lovely skin, it’s important to wear sunscreen every day, especially when you are in the outdoors for extended periods of time or during the hottest parts of the day.

Keep in mind that the majority of wrinkles form due to sun exposure, and that it’s much easier to prevent skin damage than it is to try and fix it later on. Even in winter, when the sun’s rays aren’t so strong, you should guard against UV damage. Wearing sunglasses can also help, as they protect the sensitive under-eye skin that is the thinnest, and where most signs of aging show up first.

Drink Plenty of Water

Lastly, remember that there are many different health reasons why you need to drink enough water every day, and one of those is that it makes a difference to your skin. Water helps to clear toxins from your system and thus reduces blemishes and inflammation. Good hydration can also make your skin appear fuller and reduce premature aging. In addition, drinking around eight glasses of water per day will help to transport oxygen, and all those essential nutrients, to the skin cells.

I participated in an Influencer Activation on behalf of Influence Central for the National Sleep Foundation. I received a promotional item to thank me for my participation.

Sleep, oh sweet sleep! Oh, how I love sleep! If you’ve followed me a few years ago you might remember when I told you about my hypersomnia. I’ve recently been diagnosed with narcolepsy since I have cataplexy in addition to my extreme sleepiness. Sleep is a serious matter in my home. I have the desire to sleep all the time so a good night’s sleep is essential for me.

Both of my kids are great sleepers and they love their sleep routines. They both take great naps and I couldn’t be more thankful for that! My husband on the other hand, doesn’t sleep so well. He goes to bed tired and tosses and turns for hours he says.

My kids sleep 12 hours at night and my husband and I aim to sleep 7-8 a night. My ideal night would be 12 hours but I know that’s not going to happen. I’m working to getting 9 hours though! I dream (ha!) of going to bed sleepy and waking rested….and an occasional afternoon nap.

BeyondTired.org knows people are struggling to get the rest they need and their website is a great resource for people who suffer from insomnia! There are many videos and articles full of tips to help you fall asleep and stay asleep. Plus, there is also a FAQ page to learn more about insomnia and how to deal with it.

5 Tips for Getting More Sleep

Here are a few things I try to do to sleep better each night.

1) Relax before bed. No screen time. Read, take a bath, or talk to your family.

2) Store your cell phone or devices in another room. If it’s the only phone in your room consider storing it across the room.

3) Don’t drink a lot before bed!

4) Avoid caffeine late in the evening.

5) I’m a big fan of white noise machines. I absolutely adore the Dohm brand, both of my kid’s have one in their rooms and my husband wants one for ours!

I can remember it like it was yesterday. My husband and I simultaneously jumping out of bed in the middle of the night to care for our fussy newborn. First we’d check to make sure she was dry, wasn’t hungry, and that everything was right with her sleeping conditions (no hairs wrapped around her toes, etc.). Then one of us rocked her while the other one searched the internet (seriously, what did parents do without it?!) for a sleeping solution. After we gave her tummy drops it was time to hold her in just the right position till she felt comfy again. This is the point where the one who wasn’t holding the baby would sprawl out on the nursery floor for a few minutes of shut eye.

Fast forward two years and now both parents wake up early in the morning to a crying child (or a singing child usually, our girl is happy), dragging ourselves out of bed to change a toddler who has peed through her diaper. One tosses the pjs and sheets into the wash and heads for a shower while the other one starts breakfast for the family.

We’ve tried limiting her drinks in the evening, going up a size or two in diapers, trying the expensive overnight diapers, and well, sadly the truth is we’ve just made peace with waking up early 3 or 4 nights out of the week. Hey, at least a load of laundry is done before we would regularly get up!

Pampers had a better solution in mind. They’ve came out with TWO new diapers and I’m excited about both of them.

{Quick disclosure: This review was made possible by Double Duty Divas and Pampers. I was provided the featured product free of charge to facilitate my review, but all opinions are 100% mine. This post contains affiliate links.}

The first new type of diaper is a new absorbent Pampers Cruisers. These are supposed to hold 12 hours of wetness. Our family is more than a little excited about these!!

The second new diaper isn’t exactly new, but they’re extending the sizes that the Pampers Swaddlers comes in. Now they’re available all the way to size 5. Isn’t that nice? I’ve always loved the comfort and softness of the Swaddlers and couldn’t understand why they couldn’t keep that softness an option as the child grows. I guess I wasn’t the only one who thought that. Thank you, Pampers for hearing the desires of moms and dads and doing something about it!

Pampers sent me on a mission. They provided me with a $100 gift card to buy the supplies to make a gift basket and give the “Gift of Sleep” to a family I know.

My mind raced as I thought through the numerous pregnant women I know and then I remembered one friend who just gave birth to a sweet baby boy. He wasn’t even a week old yet! With my $100 in hand I went in search of supplies for my basket.

I realize I could have given her a blanket, slippers, and candles but chances are she already owns those and already has her favorite brands of each. I thought about cozy baby clothes, swaddlers, or a sound machine but since this is her second son I knew she already had those. What I decided on was beauty products for a time-rushed, sleep-deprived mama who just wants to feel pretty.

There’s no denying that having a newborn will turn your life upside down and you’ll have learn to temporarily manage without a full night’s sleep. I still believe that those tired mamas want to look their best for themselves, for their husbands, and for those who come to visit…at least, I know I did.

I chose a Senna lip gloss which contains two shimmery shades I thought would look great on her. She can toss this in her diaper bag so it’s always an arms reach away.

The blue tube (pictured above) is Naturopathica’s Aloe Replenishing Gel. This is a miracle product that reduces redness and inflammation while restoring collagen. Ideal for those mornings when you’re not sure if it’s 8am or 8pm.

Last but not least in this beauty bag from Vera Bradley, is a Julep nail polish that I got to name! This color, Evie, looks great on fingers or toes for the perfect shimmery combination of red and pink.

Along with two packs of Pampers’ new diapers, I threw in a box of my favorite baby wipes, Pampers Sensitive wipes. They’re actually the only wipes I’ll use. They’re thin, easy to maneuver, soft, and have a pleasant scent.

I added all the goodies into this reusable canvas bag that would be great to house baby blankets or other items in the new baby’s room.

I added a little fun crinkle cut paper to the gift bag and we we’re off to deliver our care package to the new mom.

As I should have assumed, the new mom, Sara, didn’t want her picture taken but her husband and son didn’t mind being included in this photo I took. Their son, our daughter, and my husband were playing dominoes in the floor while I was able to catch up with the new mom and her darling little baby Austin.

***Quick update about Sara and her family. Without going into much detail I just want to say that it looks like Sara’s father will probably go home to meet his Heavenly Father soon. Please keep her family in your prayers. Thank you!***

Enter to win! Pampers wants to give Embracing Beauty’s readers a chance to win a prize pack of their own. Below you can enter via Rafflecopter to win a Sleep Sheep Sound Machine (which I am a big fan of!), cozy blankets for Mom/Baby and a $50 gift card.

This giveaway is open to those 18 years and older with a US mailing address. We will pick one lucky winner when this giveaway ends on Saturday, Oct. 26th at 1pm EST. Good luck!

Hi, I’m Ashley!

I'm a stay at home mom to one adorable little girl and I have the most amazing husband! We're a typical family that struggles with finances, priorities, and all the other challenges that life throws our way. I’m passionate about glorifying God and making the most of each and every day here on earth. Read more